Mercantilism and the Emergence of Servile Labour in Colonial Indonesia

Abstract

Much of the current debate on the nature of the European world economy, and on the effects of peripheralisation in the period of its formation, focuses on the emergence of what appear to be feudal forms in those regions which were drawn into the world market as exporters of primary products. Particular attention has been paid to two regions — Eastern Europe and Latin America — where the development of systems of labour organisation approximating in form to the classical demesnes of the Middle Ages has given rise to a ‘characterisation’ debate over the pertinence of the concepts of feudalism and capitalism for the analysis of this development.

An earlier draft of this article was presented as a seminar paper in the University of Hull and at University College, London as well as at the meetings of the American Anthropological Association in Houston, Texas in 1977. I would like to thank all thoes people who provided criticisms, comments, etc., in particular Julian Clarke, Josep Llobera, Carol Smith, Eric Wolf and Maila Stivens.